While I’m not a religious person as such (I grew up in New Zealand where rugby is our main religion), I will lend my body to eat gluten free cake if a church requires a helping hand…I’m good like that you see!
If you live in Bedfordshire, you are in for a right little treat. For the third year in a row, St Mary’s Church in Haynes is serving up afternoon tea on Sunday to raise funds for conservation work required…they need to raise £250,000 hence there is a blooming load of cake that needs to be eaten.
Last year, we ventured down to Haynes (just off the A6 heading towards Luton from Bedford) and we made our annual pilgrimage again last Sunday…I love kooky events like this that you find happening in the Shires of England.
The church is in the prettiest part of Haynes with gorgeous little houses decorated with rambling roses…
…and the church fits in perfectly with the cute surroundings.
As I said, the church requires a lot of money as they are trying to restore the paintings around the altar which is going to cost a staggering £250,000 at the very least and the parish is rather tiny so they are looking for lots of local support!
You can see the little patch of work that has already been carried out for a cool £2,000 and the colours are just enchanting so it would be amazing to see the final product once it’s all restored. This photo doesn’t do the colours justice!
The build up of pollution on the painting was caused by candles used inside the church and a little bit of damp. St Mary’s Church is keen to have the painting restored as there are only a small handful of churches in the United Kingdom that now possess these paintings as most were totally painted over.
Once you have tackled a big slice of cake and drunk your merry way through a large pot of tea…
^G’s afternoon tea from 2016…all home made cakes!
^my gluten free cake from 2017
…make sure you pop off to check out the knick knacks on sale…there’s even a table full of plants for all the gardeners out there…as they say, every little penny helps!
Make sure you take in the whole church as it’s very beautiful with an interesting history…
…even the grounds are beautiful!
^G, his mum and Dizzy Izzy (she suffers from anxiety and spins round and around …she’s on medication for her anxiety, poor little dog…she’s a rescue dog with only one eye but is now a very pampered princess!)
I’m actually quite disappointed to see so many churches struggling to find funds to carry out much needed repair or conservation work…these are historical buildings that are falling apart at the seams in some cases.
It’s so important to attend events like these in your local church and it’s amazing to see what is on offer these days at local churches from events showcasing Wedding Dresses through the Decades (which I loved at G’s family village!), to Afternoon Tea and Champing inside a church that I first heard about last year.
Afternoon Tea at St Mary’s Church, Haynes, Bedfordshire
- Afternoon Tea is served every Sunday in July and August from 2.30 – 4.30pm; my advice is to get there as early as possible to nab yourself a table which are dotted around the church.
- The church has organised a new band or musician every Sunday so you can boogie in your chair while eating cake…negative calories!
- I was told that they are trying to have at least one gluten free cake available each week but I would take something in your bag just in case they don’t…the gluten free carrot cake was rather yummy.
- The cost is £3 per person which includes a large slice of cake and a post of tea or coffee…there is an additional cost for more cakes or sarnies.
- Remember it is cash only!
- Even if you aren’t religious, it’s super important that we support our local communities to preserve our history regardless of our beliefs.
- The post code for St Mary’s Church is MK45 3QP; easiest to get to from Bedford or Luton along the A6 and there is ample parking at the church.
- You can read more about the history on the church’s website or check out their Facebook page for more information.
xx
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